WPL 2024: Shreyanka’s four-fer, Molineux’s triple strike help RCB bowl out DC for just 113

New Delhi, March 17 (IANS) Off-spin all-rounder Shreyanka Patil shone with a four-wicket haul while Sophie Molineux took three wickets in an over to propel Royal Challengers Bangalore in bowling out Delhi Capitals for just 113 in 18.3 overs of Women's Premier League (WPL) 2024 final at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Sunday. 

DC had a blazing start by making 61 runs in the Power-play, also the joint-highest score in the first six overs of this season and looked set to make a big total. But once the spinners came in, DC crumbled like nine pins, falling from 64/0 in seven overs to losing their all-ten wickets in just 49 runs.

Their shot selection, especially in facing straighter deliveries, and clumsy running between the wickets left a lot to be desired as Shreyanka took 4-12 to be the leading wicket-taker in the competition, followed by Sophie taking 3-20 and Asha Sobhana picking 2-14 in what was another impressive spin bowling show for RCB.

Electing to bat first, Delhi overcame a mix-up between Meg and Shafali in the opening over to have a blistering start. Shafali was the main aggressor -– slamming a brace of sixes over the bowler’s head, before Meg cleared mid-off and sliced Renuka Singh Thakur for back-to-back boundaries.

Shafali continued to deal in boundaries -– sending one down the ground for six, slicing for four more, and carving a drive over cover for another boundary. Meg then whipped a four over backward square leg for four as DC signed off from Power-play with 61/0.

Post Power-play, RCB made a powerful comeback to leave DC’s innings in tatters, thanks to left-arm spinner Sophie Molineux in the eighth over. In a bid to clear a longer boundary, Shafali slog-swept straight to deep mid-wicket.

Sophie had Jemimah Rodrigues castled on sweep for a two-ball duck, before Alice Capsey was cleaned up while shaping up for a lap shot, falling for a golden duck as the left-arm spinner took three wickets in four balls. More trouble followed DC as an edgy Meg was trapped lbw by Shreyanka Patil after playing all around an off-break delivery in the 11th over.

Marizanne Kapp miscued her slog-sweep against Asha Sobhana and long-on caught the thick top edge. Jess Jonassen was next to fall, miscuing her slog off the leg-spinner, and was safely caught by Smriti Mandhana. Minnu Mani missed a paddle sweep off Shreyanka and was trapped plumb lbw.

Radha Yadav hit back-to-back boundaries to take DC past 100, but her run-out by a direct hit from Sophie in the 17th over ended the side’s prospect of getting a respectable total. Shreyanka knocked over Arundhati Reddy and had Taniyaa Bhatia caught behind by Richa Ghosh on a faint edge to end DC’s innings in 18.3 overs.

Brief scores:

Delhi Capitals 113 all out in 18.3 overs (Shafali Verma 44, Meg Lanning 23; Shreyanka Patil 4-12, Sophie Molineux 3-20) against Royal Challengers Bangalore